Insufficient proof that killing of Kim Jong-un’s half-brother was political, judge says

There was “insufficient evidence” to prove that the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was political, a Malaysian judge said on Thursday, according to Reuters. The court ruled to continue the prosecution of two women accused of murdering Kim in Malaysia in 2017. Kim, 45, died after an assailant smeared his face with a cloth laced with nerve agent VX at Kuala Lumpur Airport. Both women pleaded not guilty. Their lawyers insist that they were recruited for what they thought was a TV prank. Kim Jong-nam was the eldest son of Kim Jong-il, who ruled North Korea from 1994 until 2011.